Tours: Saint Martin and Middle Ages Walking Tour｜France

Begin your walking tour in the heart of Tours, a city where history is written in stone and faith still guides the steps of its visitors. In the Middle Ages, Tours was a major religious, political, and strategic center. From 1355, faced with the devastation of the Hundred Years’ War, the towns of Tours and Châteauneuf were united within the same system of fortifications, reinforcing the city’s defensive and urban unity.

In the final phase of the conflict, Tours effectively became the capital of the Kingdom of France. Jeanne d’Arc even passed through the city in April 1429 to equip herself before heading to Blois and then to Orléans. At the same time, the city’s development was deeply shaped by the legacy of Saint Martin.

Discover the city’s rich historical and spiritual heritage through its iconic monuments and sites linked to Saint Martin, one of the most venerated saints in France. Born in 316 in Pavia, in present-day Italy, Martin grew up in a military family. As an officer in Amiens, he had a life-changing experience: after sharing his cloak with a beggar, he was visited by Christ in a dream and decided to dedicate his life to faith. He joined Saint Hilaire in Poitiers and, together with him, founded the first monastery in Gaul, at Ligugé.

Elected bishop of Tours in 371, he established his hermitage at Marmoutier and evangelized the Touraine region, creating numerous parishes. His death during a trip to Candes on November 8, 397, and his burial in Tours on November 11, turned the city into a major pilgrimage site from the 5th century onwards. In the Middle Ages, the Martinopolis developed around his tomb, combining religious life, commerce, and urban growth. Pilgrims from all over Europe came to visit, contributing to the prosperity and spiritual influence of Tours.